Falcons rookie safety Keanu Neal and Saints receiver Willie Snead IV were both left with possible concussions after a huge collision in the fourth quarter.

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Neal turned his head as he approached Snead to make the tackle on a 27-yard pass play, but their helmets struck when they both ducked down.

Snead fumbled, though the Saints recovered. Both players staggered off the field before they were taken to the locker room for evaluations.

PAYTON'S FUTURE:

Saints coach Sean Payton is facing questions about his future after a third straight 7-9 season.

Payton was once the toast of New Orleans, posting a record of 62-34 over his first six years with the team, including four playoff appearances and the franchise's lone Super Bowl title.

Since being suspended for a year in a bounties scandal, Payton is 32-32, with the lone playoff appearance coming in 2013.

UP NEXT:

The Falcons earned a week off in the opening round of the playoffs, only the fourth time they've been in that position under the current postseason format. Atlanta had a first-round bye during the 1998 (different divisional alignment), 2004, 2010 and 2012 seasons. The Falcons won their first playoff game three of those years to advance to the NFC championship game (the only exception was 2010).

The team's lone Super Bowl appearance was 1998. Atlanta has never won a championship.

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